Mar 31 1965
From The Space Library
Nike-Apache sounding rocket was launched from Wallops Island with NASA Lewis Research Center experiment to study three wavelengths of light in the airglow: one in the red part of the spectrum, another in the yellow, and a third in the green. Altitude of the air-glow was measured with phototubes mounted on the rocket. A 26-in,- dia. mylar balloon helped scientists correlate measured light intensity and altitude with density of the atmosphere. (Wallops Release 65-19; LRC Release 65-26)
U.S. Army disclosed it had orbited a three-satellite earth-mapping system, with two of the spacecraft circling the earth from west to east and the third traveling from pole to pole. The satellites were of the Secor type. Two were fired into orbit earlier this month; the other was launched Jan. 11, 1964. The three spacecraft, each with a radio receiver and transmitter, were helping pinpoint locations on earth that were widely separated by large bodies of water. (AP, NYT, 4/1/65, 11; M&R, 4/5/65, 12)
Studies carried out under NASA contract by the Union Carbide Research Institute had demonstrated the ability of many life forms to adjust to at least partial Martian conditions. It had also been demonstrated that lack of oxygen produced surprising results: turtles with little or no blood; plants that could endure lower temperatures than plants raised in normal air, Such temperature resistance would be an advantage on a cold planet like Mars, Dr. Sanford M. Siegel disclosed these findings during a press tour of Union Carbide and said that if earth life could withstand Martian conditions so well, Martian life, if there ever had been any, must have been able to evolve to cope with the situation there. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/1/65)
Discussing NASA Kennedy Space Center's evaluation measurement program for cost-plus-award-fee contracting before the GE Annual Method and Work Measurement Conference in Gainesville, Fla, John E. Thomas of KSC's Support Operations listed eight points designed to give a thorough profile of the contractor: (1) quality of work; (2) personnel profile; (3) care and control of Government property; (4) effectiveness of the contractor's training programs; (5) speed of compliance with work requests; (6) contractor attitude; (7) cost-control practices; (8) business management practices, He said that from these data the KSC Evaluation Board determined how much of the fee the contractor had earned. (Text)
Maj. Virgil I. Grissom and LCdr. John W. Young, the Gemini astronauts, returned home to Houston and to an enthusiastic welcome by a crowd of some 12,000 persons. The astronauts walked by much of the crowd, shaking hands, "We've had a pretty tough week, then came a couple of days of debriefing, then three parades, but today is the best of all-when we get to come back home," Major Grissom said. Commander Young said, "We're sure happy to see all you smiling Texans." (UPI, NYT, 4/2/65, 12)
USAF sonic boom series over Chicago, which had begun Jan. 4, ended. (Chic, Trib., 3/31/65)
Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $15,284,000,000 military authorization bill for DOD; an unrequested $82 million was added for development of a new manned bomber to replace the B-52 and B-58, no longer in production. (Raymond, NYT, 3/31/65)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb told the American Society of Photogrammetry and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, convening in Washington: ", . since the dawn of the Space Age-in less than eight years-one of our most important tasks has been that of mapping-mapping the surface of the world and its geodetic figure; mapping the world's weather, as revealed in its cloud patterns as seen from above; mapping the earth's outermost atmosphere in three dimensions, and exploring its interaction with the newly-discovered solar wind; seeing and mapping astronomical sources for the first time in ultraviolet and X-radiation from outside the earth's atmosphere; and mapping areas of our moon to an accuracy 2,000 times better than that now achievable from earth, and preparing to map areas of Mars to an accuracy as much as 100 times better than that attainable from earth. " (Text)
All but six of the 170 pieces into which Soviet satellite COSMOS LVII had shattered after being orbited Feb, 22 had fallen to earth, according to GSFC's Satellite Situation Report. Another disclosure of the report was that a U.S. satellite orbited March 9 from WTR was orbiting in eight pieces, four of which were transmitting signals. (GSFC SSR, 3/31/65)
Construction workers at NASA Kennedy Space Center returned to work. ending a two-day walkout which NASA spokesman said cost the government $200,000 a day, Pickets of United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters were withdrawn when Assistant Secretary of Labor James Reynolds agreed to meet with union representatives Apr. 5. (UPI, Cocoa Trib., 3/31/65)
Lt. Gen. James Ferguson, USAF Deputy Chief of Staff (R&D), stated in FY 1966 appropriations hearings of House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on DOD Appropriations: "I cannot help but believe, if we take a look at the last 40 years of Russian national development, that they are watching for an opportunity to gain a major military advantage over us. I cannot help but feel that they are examining opportunities in space very thoroughly for this particular purpose, "In order to be able to offset any advantage which they may discover, I feel we must move as rapidly as we can in this area, and take full advantage of any other national space programs such as the NASA activity. "The big program that we hope to get a go-ahead on here shortly is the Manned Orbital Laboratory. Here we think we will achieve a number of answers in the next 2 or three years..." (DOD Appropriations Hearings [Part 5], 148)
USAF announced a high vacuum test chamber that would simulate space environment and altitudes up to 990,000 ft. was being constructed at Wright-Patterson AFB. Liquid metal system components such as space radiators, and expandable structures such as solar reflectors, would be tested in the chamber, Chicago Bridge and Iron Co. was constructing the facility, which would be completed in Sept, 1965, under a $699,780 contract awarded in Nov. 1964. (AFSC Release 165)
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